Winning Bets
by gredandforgerock
Summary: With a large family betting is a form of amusement. AU during summer after 5th year. Probably overkill on the rating.


"What do you two think you're doing." Ron yelled walking out into the garden at the Burrow.

Harry and Ginny were on the ground with Ginny's arms trapped above her head by Harry and he was leaning over her. Both stopped and looked at Ron then looked back at each other rolling their eyes. They started to get up when someone else followed him out.

"Shut it Ron." Fred glowered at his little brother and then turned to the other two, "Proceed it's fine. Go ahead snog away." Harry looked at Ginny with an odd look which she was returning and then they both looked back at Fred.

"No." Ron yelled, "You've got to wait five minutes. Give me a break here just five minutes. Then you can snog all you want."

"What?" Harry was confused and exasperated.

"If you wait five minutes to kiss her for the first time then I'll win the time pool. You have to wait until after two. I'm your best friend surely you can wait for me." Ron said.

"You bet on us?" Harry asked.

"Yes," said George unrepentantly, "it's been going on for about six years. My next spot doesn't come up for two weeks. But being the nicest and the favorite I won't ask you to wait. Of course you could wait if you wanted to please your most favorite brother."

"You aren't the favorite," Bill said, "I am. And if you just wait until tomorrow I'll win."

"No," Fleur said, "Do it today. Then I will win."

Harry whispered, "You were right, I should have waited until we were farther away before we stopped to play."

Ginny snickered as more of the family poured out of the Burrow suggesting better times and places for them to kiss for the first time. Harry stood and helped Ginny up. Then he rolled his eyes and jerked his head toward the orchard. Ginny shook her head and held up one finger. After several more minutes Ginny let out a shrill whistle. Everyone stopped talking and turned to the couple.

"Did you do it?" Fred asked, "Did I win?"

"Two things." Ginny said, "Number one we were not getting ready to start kissing. He was tickling me."

"Oh. Sorry." George said, "But you will kiss her in two weeks right?"

"I'm sure they'll be kissing way before that." Ron said, "Like maybe within the next hour?"

"Hold on." Hermione said, "What was the second thing, you said there were two."

"Oh yes." Ginny said, "Let me see, oh I remember. If we were to start kissing it wouldn't be the first time."

"Gin, we're talking kissing on the lips." Charlie said, "No cheeks."

"Doesn't change anything." Ginny said.

"Wait then," Fred said, "When and where was it we have to see who won."

"July thirty first at 2:17," Ron cheered until Harry continued, "AM."

"What were you to doing out of bed that time of night?" Ron asked, miffed because it wasn't a time he had picked.

"I had a nightmare and went to the kitchen for a glass of water." Ginny said, "Harry had a nightmare too and was already there. We got to talking and it came about that Harry was a bit depressed because he just couldn't seem to be a normal."

"But you are normal." Fred said.

"I mean I hate having Voldemort hanging over my head." Harry said, "Everything I do I have to think how would this affect the war or what would Voldemort do if I did this. He's killed my whole family, will he go after my friends? My Girlfriend? Her family? I don't feel like I can endanger someone that way."

"And I keep telling him we are already in as much danger as we can get by just being alive. Just look at Mum's clock." Ginny said, "So I told him if he wants a girlfriend he should just approach her about it. If you're given an opportunity to have the girl you want you should reach out and grab it."

"So I did." Harry grinned.

"Ginny you win the date." George said.

"What?" Bill said.

"She was actually the one who started the pool." Fred said, "I was teasing her about wanting to kiss Harry and she said I bet he will kiss me eventually. So I said, sure but you don't know when and where. And that started it, she got first pick."

"She's the one that picked all the holidays." George said. "Time was won by… Harry."

Everyone turned to a grinning Harry who said, "I saw it last Christmas. You left it on the table overnight and when I got up to get some hot coco, because of another nightmare I saw it and picked a few things. All the prime times were chosen so I went with the times I usually wake up with nightmares or I give up on my insomnia and go to the common room to study."

"Fine, Fine." Fred said, "Place, George who won place?"

"Where was it?" George asked.

"Kitchen at the Burrow." Ginny said.

"Remus won." George sighed in resignation, "Ok, who are we betting on next?"

"Bill and Fleur's wedding date?" Hermione suggested.

"We've already picked it." Bill said.

"Pregnancy then?" Molly said.

"That holds possibilities. Anything else?" Fred asked.

"How about Ron and Hermione?" George suggested.

"What would you bet on us about?" Ron asked.

"How long it will take for you to realize you like each other." Fred said.

"When you'll quit fighting and start snogging." Bill said.

"When the wedding will be." Arthur added.

"Names of the children." Molly stated.

With each addition Ron and Hermione turned redder until Harry added, "Whether or not you'll implode from embarrassment before you get the nerve to look at each other ever again." Hermione couldn't help it she giggled. That triggered the rest of them, it took a while before they were able to get over the laughter. When it finally died down the group started back into the kitchen with Fred and George working on the next betting pool.

The four youngest stayed outside, Harry and Ginny wandered off to find a quiet place to snog, Ron and Hermione sat on a bench in the garden. "Do you thing they were serious?"

"About what?" Ron asked.

"About betting on us?"

"Yes." He replied.

"Where they right about…" Hermione started but decided to stop when Ron looked at her. She got lost looking in his eyes and he was lost looking into hers. Slowly they both leaned forward and met in the middle.

It was a breathtakingly sweet until they heard from the house, "I won place on the Ron and Hermione kiss."


End file.
